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{
    "id": 932661,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/932661/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 343,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. M. Kajwang'",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13162,
        "legal_name": "Moses Otieno Kajwang'",
        "slug": "moses-otieno-kajwang"
    },
    "content": "In this particular financial year, there is a matter that will, unfortunately, have to go back to the National Assembly. The Transition Authority (TA) gave a conditional grant to county governments for refurbishment and establishment of county government offices, executives and assemblies. The money was an average of Kshs70 million per county. In that year, none of the counties were able to account for that money. They instead said that they would account for it through the TA. When we asked that question, we were told that a report on the audit of the TA would be laid before the National Assembly. Just imagine how much Kshs.70 million across 47 counties could have done to help the people of our counties. Therefore, we have flagged out such cases of corruption and theft Subsequently, we have been saying that the governor is a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the county entity. Our understanding is that the CEO is also the chief accounting officer. If you are the CEO, you are also the chief accounting officer. You cannot run away and say that it is the Chief Officer for Lands who is responsible of some junior persons. We are holding the CEOs and the governors jointly responsible, and we are subjecting them to investigation and prosecution. We have seen many cases of inefficiency and cases of fiscal imprudence, particularly on issues of employment costs. Many counties are running employment costs above 40 per cent, and the governors do not have what I call the ‘balls’ to deal with that particular matter. We have seen operations take up more than 30 percent of county governments’ allocation; we have seen county assemblies taking almost 15 per cent of county revenues in certain counties. Those are cases of fiscal imprudence, where we have made some prudential recommendations. We have seen cases of ineptitude, particularly decisions around projects, where some projects like one of the Reports that has been adopted previously in my County of Homa Bay, where the County Executive was distributing electric chicken hatcheries to areas that have never seen electricity. Those are poor decisions in which we end up losing millions of shillings. We have also made recommendations on that. On book keeping, I agree with one of the distinguished Senators who talked of coming up with a minimum certification or minimum qualification standards for chief officers of finance. The PFM Act has been interpreted in a problematic manner. In the PFM Act, the county treasury is established. The members of that county treasury are identified as the County Executive Committee (CEC) Member in charge of Finance, and several other people. The Act says that the CEC in charge of Finance shall be the head of treasury. In the reporting standards, there is a requirement that the head of treasury should be a member of a professional body. Indeed, there is a requirement that the professional membership number be appended to the financial statements. Unfortunately, county chief executives have interpreted the role of a CEC to be a political appointee. We had a case – it must have been in Wajir County – where we were told that the CEC Finance was a physiotherapist. There is nothing wrong with being a physiotherapist, but round pegs should be put in round holes, and not in square holes. There is a county where the chief officer for finance was an ECDE teacher. There is nothing wrong with being and ECDE teacher, but an ECDE teacher would offer more The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}